Getting on topic now, anime like any other form of media has had its fair share of both heart and gut wrenching moments. Whether it’s the death of a character or saying goodbye to a friend, every show has at least one moment that either brings a tear to your eyes, or makes you shudder in disgust. So, here’s my Top 6 List of all the saddest/darkest moments in anime. Kleenex will be provided at the end.

#6. All Of Clannad After Story

HOLY FREAKING CRAP! This show… this show… Never before has an anime taken me on such a rollercoaster ride of emotions. From Yuki being caught up in a gang war, to Tomoya dealing with his deadbeat father, to Nagisa dying during childbirth, I shed many a tear while viewing this series.

The straw that broke the camels back though was the death of Ushio. THAT was when I had to put my foot down and pause the show. Come on, Key and Kyoto Animation! You couldn’t let Tomoya have one happy moment in his life!? He already lost his father, basketball and his wife! Oh, and don’t give me that time reset nonsense! I can’t reset my tears I shed, you monsters!

#5. The Deaths of Nicol and Tolle

If I had to compare Gundam SEED to any other show/movie, I’d say it’s the anime equivalent of the Twilight series. It’s angsty, over the top dramatic and gives of an uncomfortable vibe throughout. It isn’t until the deaths of both Tolle Koenig and Nicol Almafi that things get really unsettling. Their deaths aren’t particularly sad as both were just stereotypical Gary Stus in my opinion. It’s the way their deaths are portrayed that makes this selection quite morbid.

Nicol meets his end at the blade of Kira while trying to protect Athrun. It’s afterwards that Tolle is killed when Athrun beheads him with his shield while Tolle is backing up Kira. Both of their deaths are constantly shown throughout the show, and with more and more detail each time they are. I get that the creators of the anime wanted to show the impact they had on the characters, but did they REALLY need to slow Tolle’s head flying off or Nicol being cut through while his helmet fills up with blood? We already saw how gruesomely they were taken out. We didn’t need constant, HD reminders every other episode afterwards.

#4. Goro’s Dad’s Death

I’ve already spoke at length about just how many middle fingers the anime Major gives its main character Shigeno Goro, and there is no bigger one than when his Dad’s passes away. After already having to deal with his mother being dead and his father almost being cut from the team, life finally starts to get a bit better with his Dad becoming an ace batter and becoming engaged to Goro’s teacher. And then….Gibson happened. One hit to the head from a 100 mph fastball and Goro suddenly becomes an orphan. The matter is only made worse by having Goro wake up to his father’s lifeless body!

And for those who have watched the series, you know it only gets worse from here on out. Dang….

#3. Genkai’s Death

In every action anime there are characters that you know are dead on arrival the moment you see them. And then there are the ones who, outside of the main character, are fitted with enough plot armor to help them survive the entire series. Genkai falls into the latter category. Well…she would…if Toguro hadn’t gone and THROWN A HISSY FIT AND KILLED HER OFF!!!

Sorry…sorry…lost my cool there. It’s just….how could they do it, man? Genkai is one of the coolest old people to ever be drawn! Tough as nails when she needs to, yet able to bestow wisdom and guidance to the directionless. Too bad none of he wisdom could sink through the thick, vein riddled head of Toguro! Didn’t even have the decency to fight her before she gave Yusuke her spiritual orb, and basically causes her heart to explode after punching her in the chest. And I know that she was brought back to life, but we didn’t know at the time! The only good thing to come out of all of this was that Yusuke kicked his behind in the end and offed that whiny, little brat!

#2. Ace’s Death

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Sorry….I just…need a moment…

Huuuhh….boy…this one hit me hard. Outside of Ushio’s death, I don’t think I’ve ever cried at a death scene in an anime like I did with this one. Just like with Genkai, Ace was one of the characters I thought would never be killed in One Piece. Maybe he’d lose a fight here or there, but he wouldn’t die, right? Nope! Right in the heat of the most epic battle of the series he gets a molten fist driven right through his heart, wounding him beyond repair. The matter is made all the worse as it happens right in front of Luffy as depicted in the image above. And just as Luffy I was stricken with both shock and sadness at the death of such a great character. Even now I’m hoping that the guy is resurrected some how and comes to aid the Straw Hats at some point. But alas, this is one flame that will never be rekindled.

#1. Gohan vs Recoome

Given the all of the death and despair I’ve both shown and spoken about thus far, it may seem strange that a moment that doesn’t include someone kicking the bucket would top the list. But, given all the circumstances surrounding this fight, I can’t think of a scene that’s darker than this one.

With all the incredible feats that Gohan has accomplished throughout the series, it’s easy for one to forget that he was 4-5 years old throughout the Saiyan/Frieza sagas. Yeah! He’d technically be a kindergartener if he’d actually been able to go to school. And looking back at the moment when Recoome broke his neck and left him in a bloody, twitching pulp on the floor, my heart sank a bit at the thought of this kid dying in this manner.

Now some of you will go and say ” Goku took as much of a beating as Gohan did as a kid. Maybe even more than he did.”. But you have to realize that not only was Goku 13 at the time, he also had been trained from the moment Grandpa Gohan found him in his pod. Gohan was basically given a crash course by Piccolo before he ever actually threw a real punch. Needless to say the comparison between him and his father is even close. Thank heaven Goku actually got to him before he passed away cause there’s nothing sadder than watching a kid die.

And so, those are the darkest/saddest moments in anime that I’ve come across in my time as a fan. Hope they haven’t put too much of a damper on your day. And remember, this has been Just….My 2 Cents.

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[…] Top 6 Saddest/Darkest Moments In Anime– Anime has the power to move us. While watching anime, I have experienced the full gambit of emotions. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried…hell, I’ve even raged at the characters on the screen. When the characters get pumped, we get pumped. When a character dies, we cry real tears. This post sums up six devastatingly sad moments in anime. I especially love how animated this blogger is with their posts! […]